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 Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 10:22 pm
  Onora was frustrated, tired. The babies that were found could not be left alone, and who else was there to take care of them? The older teen had been abandoned as a baby, so it was unforgivable that these babies be left behind.
The small cervitaur carried these babies through an emptier part of town, looking for a safe place to make them more comfortable. They'd need a place to settle down soon, but there hadn't been a good place yet.. and the cervi was far too weak to try and build anything. But these little ones had to be taken care of, no matter what came. Onora pulled the little babies closer, trying to keep them close and safe from anything.Availia wiggled in her adoptive mother's arms. She was wrapped up in a warm little blanket, but she was giggly. Completely innocent to the world around, the baby didn't have a care.
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Posted: Sun May 26, 2013 3:21 am
 
The new pup was just over being weaned, a joyful and excited little creature that was happy to do just about anything but listen to Valentine's commands. A cheery series of little barks led the cervitaur to the little blonde pup, who had successfully unearthed a fat beetle, which he was happily sniffing at until Valentine approached, at which point he scooped it up and crunched it between his teeth. Even the prized hunter who stood at his side seemed disappointed by the little one's behaviour, hanging her head and looking up at the 'taur with pitying brown eyes.
A small brass whistle was pressed to his lips, and the young man blew two short notes on it... Nothing. He cursed under his breath and stepped over to the blurred little spot of yellow, only for the little creature to bound off in another direction. A pang of self-consciousness caused Valentine's resolve to stick in his throat before he set his jaw and turned after the pup, running him down and scooping him up in one arm, blowing two more quick blasts on the whistle, which had his prized lady up to speed with him in only a moment.
---
Don't feel guilty, he said you could return him if he wasn't what you wanted, the cervitaur told himself as he exited the breeder's small shop, the sound of yapping hounds falling silent as the door fell shut behind him. Peering closely, blue eyes crossed, he counted the coins he'd regained, a price slightly less than what he'd initially paid, but it was only fair. The boy knelt in front of Sweet Lady, ruffling the fur along her cheeks and rubbing her ears. She was his prized hunter -he'd even go so far as to call her his best friend- but she was getting old. Her eyesight had been getting steadily worse as of late, and he would find no help from a dog as blind as he was.
"But you'll be able to find me so long as I can whistle for you, eh girl?" he asked the creature, who whined and gave a sad-sounding bark in return. Wryly, the boy smiled. And what about when you can't find her, Valentine? Frowning, he tried to put the thought out of his head, and an appropriate distraction caught his eye. Some distance away was another 'taur, from the shape of them, who seemed young and struggling with fairly hefty-looking bundles. Pale brown ears perked up and he stood, patting his side for the fluffy creature to follow him. The closer he grew, the more he could tell about the other, though between his dressing and antlers, Valentine couldn't help his confusion. Unfortunately, to see so clearly, he was already too close to pass by, and continued his approach with a shy wave.
"Hello there. I noticed that you seemed to be struggling with..." he trailed off as he noticed what was in the other's arms. Cradled to their chest were two infants, neither of whom looked anything like the one carrying them, and he couldn't help but gape. "A-are you the only one taking care of these two...?! Surely they aren't your's, you're- you're so young and-- well, one is a cervitaur, but I don't see many-- Do... do you need any help, young Sir?"
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Posted: Sun May 26, 2013 10:07 am
Onora's bright ears pressed back against purple hair. Trying to soothe the frighten infant, the cervi spoke softly, in a feminine-sounding voice,"it's all right... Don't be afraid.." The pink cervi's eyes fell on a good sized male cervi and his dog approaching them. Onora's tail flagged, alert causing the smaller 'taur to press the infants closer, being very careful to keep them from any sort of danger. "H..Hello..." Onora ducked its head a bit at being called a 'young sir'. But Onora didn't want to confuse the 'taur further by admitting the slightly embarrassing difference about itself. Especially since this other 'taur seemed to be having a bit of trouble himself..
"Yes, I am the one taking care of these two. I rescued them. They're just babies.. I couldn't stand to leave them alone." The young 'taur smiled gently at the bundles. The feminine cervi tried to brace itself to hold the babies better to determine whether this male could be trusted or not. "Both together are a little too heavy for me.." Onora shifted, trying to keep a good hold on both of the infants. "My name is Onora," motioning to the two babies, it added "the blue one is Availia.. The dark little boy is Bartholomieu. I'm afraid they're a little shy." Purple eyes glanced back to the animal at the stranger's side. "If you don't mind me asking.. who are you?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 5:21 pm
The comment did little to calm the young centaur, who continued to wriggle in their grip, torn between fear and curiosity, wanting to see this new place but worried about what he might find. The change in his new guardian's body language made Bartholomieu tense, his large amber eyes gazing out into the strange landscape, where he caught sight of a large male with a formidable rack of antlers. Wrapping his stubby fingers around Onora's arm, he hid his upper body behind the blue patterned body of his small companion, peeking out with his ears tipped back.
Lashes fluttered over his blue eyes as the babes shifted in this strange cervitaur's grip, wondering if he was mistaken in the lumps of flesh that he thought he'd seen. His ears perked forward in concern at the admittance, nervousness translating through the padding of his hooves. Without much consideration for personal space, he took a step forward, clearing his vision a little more as Sweet Lady sniffed away at this new-scented stranger. As they were all introduced, Valentine's eyes passed over each one in turn, responding for himself with an added bow. "I am Valentine," he replied, noting the other's look toward his canine companion. "And this is Sweet Lady. It's a pleasure to meet the three of you."
He couldn't help the concern in his face as he watched the antlered cervi juggle both children, heart fluttering each time and arm or a leg slipped through his grasp. Still unaccustomed to conventional social graces, he could only resist a few moments before lurching forward to tuck one of the little cervitaur's feet back into the other's arms. "Do-do you mind if I help you hold them? On my honor, nothing will harm a hair on their heads." Hesitantly, he outstretched his arms, open to taking either of the little children, so long as they weren't in danger of falling.
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Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:50 pm
Onora smiled a little as soon as they were all introduced, feeling better for some strange reason that they at least knew each other's names now. She didn't even mind the dog smelling of her quite as much as she had before. "It's very nice to meet you, Valentine and Sweet Lady." Now that it had relaxed some, the feminine taur realized that the newcomer wasn't too bad on the eyes. Though those thoughts were quickly put from mind. Onora nodded a little, "I suppose you could take Availia. She is quite easy-going. You don't mind helping me home, do you, Valentine?" The smaller 'taur steppped a little closer to him, carefully handing him the blue baby. This motion showed that Onora clearly had some feminine parts, and not just in voice.
"My home isn't too far from here, if you would like to help.. I can show you the way." Onora smiled, happy to have less in her arms, and started walking carefully to home once more. "If you don't mind me asking, I can't help but notice that you seem to be having a little trouble.. seeing me.. Are you alright? You haven't... asked me anything yet, other than about the children. You're not just being polite, are you?" The pink 'taur couldn't help but blush a little. It was an... embarrasing subject. Not many others seemed to react to it too well...
Availia settled easily into the male"s arms. She stared up at him, taking in what he looked like. The innocent baby smiled, not knowing anything better than trusting those she came across. After all, her mother wouldn't let her get hurt, would she?
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Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 1:19 am
Bartholomieu gasped as his sister was taken from him, stretching his arms out after her before thinking better of it and nestling up against his mother's chest yet again. It was much more comfortable, anyhow, and safer despite that. After all, what if this stranger ran off with Ava? They couldn't very well go chasing after him, with that big fluffy ball of teeth and hair that he kept standing beside him. What if he was going to feed baby Availia to it? The boy sucked in a nervous little breath and wrapped both arms around one of Onora's, tail twitching with anxiety. He certainly hoped this stranger didn't steal his sister!
Valentine nodded eagerly at the offer, a smile tugging at his lips as he took the little cervitaur babe into his arms, trying his hardest not to notice the subtle curve of this 'man's' body. And yet, it was nothing he could ignore, certain that he'd spotted those fleshy lumps beneath the fabric of his- her- it's clothing, an effeminate curve that he'd never before seen on another male. Yet Valentine did his best to ignore this new bit of information, cooing softly at the baby in his arms, wiggling a pointer finger at one of her chubby little hands. The scrappy-looking creature beside him whined softly, hopping up on her back legs to sniff at the bundle in his arms, only for the young man to pull it away and blow on her nose. "Stop that, Sweet Lady, you know better.
"Oh? No, no, I certainly wouldn't mind helping you, Onora," he replied with a smile, short tail perking up and a soft chuckle falling past his lips. "Yes, a guide might be best. Wouldn't want to end up wandering off with your daughter on account of mistaking one turn or the next." It was Valentine's turn to flush at this confession, not usually one to speak about his own shortcomings, let alone to someone he'd only just met. When the other 'taur started forward, he followed, sure to walk only a step or two behind the pace, less he mix his new companion up with another pink-and-blue stranger on the road. The question posed only flared his embarrassment further, ears tipping back as he chuckled awkwardly. "I-I must admit I was... a-a little curious about, well, about you, but it seems rather personal, I just... would you rather I call you 'he' or 'she'? O-oh, and I'm fine, don't worry, see my mother has rather poor eyesight, and it was passed on to me; I can distinguish colours and shapes, but most details are lost to me."
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Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 9:03 am
Availia looked towards her brother, smiling at the fact she could see him much better now that she was with the newcomer. She giggled a little when the dog sniffed at her, latching onto the finger that the big cervi offered her and pulling the hand towards her mouth. After all, chewing was how you got to know things were.
Onora made sure that the male cervi stayed close while they walked, now choosing to take the easier paths since the bright cervi knew about his.. problem. A twist of sympathy hit the little 'taur. And here she was, getting suspicious of being judged when he couldn't even really see what he was looking at.. Usually she wasn't so upset about her condition, but going into town always made it worse.. "I'm very sorry to hear that.. I wouldn't have ever guessed, watching you.." The voice came out much softer this time, Onora's eyes falling down on the road before them. She was silent for a while, until they started to draw closer to her home.
Gathering courage, Onora looked back up. This male had been nothing but nice, so what would it hurt if he knew? He'd probably just hand her baby back and go running off, ridiculing her like so many others have.. "You shared something personal with me, so it's only right that I do with you.. I'm not really sure why I am the way I am. Or what exactly I am. I..I'm more of a she, but.." the 'taur flushed more deeply, trying to figure out the words to describe what was going on. Trying to avoid any more awkwardness, she decided not to say anything more. "I.. I'm a she, with some he properties. Like my antlers. I.. I don't really fit in anywhere.. That's why I was trying to do this alone.." the teen sighed. "We're almost there, now. I'm afraid my home is quite.. small.."
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Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2013 10:15 pm
Valentine chuckled softly as his hand was taken captive, letting the little babe suckle and gnaw at it if that was what she wanted. As casually as he could muster, he looked between the two cervitaur curiously. "The two of you, well, she- she looks quite a bit like you, even if she's not flesh-and-blood," he said, making sure the baby was comfortable and well propped-up in his arms, feeling goosebumps prickle up his arms as he smiled. "I haven't ever actually held a baby before... I can't imagine someone leaving these two behind."
The apology gained a bit of a chuckle. "I'm glad that I come off so able. I try not to let my sight hinder me, and I think I've done a decent job so far." Whatever the gender of this taur, they certainly did have a sweet voice, almost musical, making Valentine wonder if they whispered to sound more effeminate. Perhaps the cervitaur has a voice as middle-gendered as the rest of their appearance? Despite having not said it aloud, the young man flushed all the same, feeling ashamed and embarrassed for having such insensitive thoughts, focusing his attention again on the child in his arms.
"Hm?" Valentine almost jumped when Onora spoke again, having let his nerves twist into such a tight spring. The shaky smile he'd donned slowly slipped off his face as the explanation went on, blue eyes growing wider and steps slower before, finally, the two fell into a stop. "You're... both?" he asked, incredulous, eyes taking in the teenager's entire form shamelessly, now that the other had brought his attention to it. But it was true, what she said; the cervitaur possessed antlers and broad shoulders, hips and breasts, pouty lips and a heavy brow and was, altogether, a mix of the two genders. At first, he let his gaze fall to the ground, starting up his pace yet again as he processed this new information, chewing at his lower lip.
"That's... very unique, I must say," he stated, laughing awkwardly, but giving a wavy smile nonetheless, pulling his fingertip from the small blue baby's mouth to pat Onora on the shoulder. "B-but that's no reason for you to have to do this alone." The apologetic tone brought a more confident smile to the male's face, shaking his head at her worry. "Not an issue in the slightest, I assure you. Small homes are quite cozy, I feel."
All the while, Bartholomieu watched this stranger flap his gums and look all around. He was nervous, that much was obvious, and the longer that the little centaur was around him, the less worried he became. He might be scary and big, with a furry tooth monster, but he seemed as scared as fish in a creek, and Mama Noora was even smaller that he was! Bartholomieu giggled to himself at that thought, kicking his little hooves in the air. He was starting to get restless from all this being-carried nonsense, and he could tell that they were almost home.
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Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 10:36 am
Onora glanced over her shoulder, watching Valentine play with Ava. "I'm glad I found both of them.. I guess the mother didn't find what she wanted in them, or they were unexpected.." Onora couldn't admit to him that she had been abandoned as well and felt obligated to not let that happen to these babies. She wasn't out for pity or anything and talking of her past outloud just sounded pathetic. The children were hers and safe now and that was all that mattered. Onora would work as much as necessary to give these babies the best life that she could.
The little taur blushed as the male tried to take in what details he could of her body. The female part of the 'taur made it a little more sensitive to the eyes of others. She self-consciously pulled the little baby in her arms closer, shifting a little uncomfortably now that she was the main subject of focus. Onora had never felt particularly attractive, especially since the townspeople tended to avoid the mixgendered taur. Flinching a bit when the male touched her shoulder, almost as if afraid he were going to push her away or be forceful, Onora tried to force herself to calm down. Taking a deep breath, she brought herself to look at the male's face again. "I'm doing this alone because no one bothers to stick around me, to help me with them.. I'm too different and it make most other 'taurs uncomfortable.. I can't really blame anyone," she carefully stroked Bartholomieu's hair, feeling him shift about restlessly. "I-I know I can handle it, though. I'm strong enough to do whatever they need and I love them very much," Picking up the pace slightly as the pair came over a hill, halfway to hurry and try to end this conversation, she trotted to a very small home, if it could be called such.. It was a very cheap almost-shack that had been sold to her by a male centaur that wanted her far from his town but couldn't bear to leave the little teen and her two babies homeless. And it had taken almost all the coins Onora had to her name to buy it.. She fumbled a moment to open the door, revealing a room that would be comfortable for a single 'taur. The cooking area was kept right outside of the door and a crude table, bed, cradles, and a few shelves with things needed for the baby filled the inside. The sparse furnishings made the room feel a little bigger than it was. "Well.. This is our home.."
Availia felt a little disappointed when the male reclaimed his hand from her. It felt really good to chew on something.. Moving her own hand to her mouth, the baby began to suck on her fist. The little one tried to smile around the hand when she saw their home, but wasn't nearly as eager to be put down as her brother. This newcomer was very interesting, and she'd never been held by anyone but mama before..
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Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 8:58 pm
The strong, stubborn reply that Valentine received made him smile, but absolutely broke his heart. There were words he wanted to say, comforts and offers he wanted to extend in that moment, but Onora was too quick, and the seconds ticked on far too soon. Cursing to himself, the cervitaur followed at the new hurried pace, sure to tuck the little girl in his arms safely against his chest. There were a few places that his hooves caught and threatened to force him to the ground, but he recovered well enough, his breathing barely laboured when they reached the little shack that his new acquaintance called home. Though his blue eyes must have shown the surprise he felt at seeing the minute building, he tried to hide it, relaxing his grip on the girl in his arms and stretching one hand to his dog, scratching her head and neck and instructing her to sit and stay outside the home. He was sure she was welcome inside, he was just... not entirely sure she would fit comfortably in there, with the rest of them.
"It's certainly cozy," Valentine replied, wincing at how the phrase came out; he didn't want to make this poor cervitaur feel anymore woeful than she managed to be on her own. Anxiously, his eyes flicked up to her antlers once again, wondering if he would become accustomed to her medley of genders over time, or if something would always feel so tense and... off. "Not that... you'll need too much space for now, at least, with the babes as small as they are, and you..." Being similarly petite, was the intended end to that sentence, yet the words escaped him as his face grew warm, gaze drawn to the slender frame of the figure before him. Blinking and turning his attention to the blue cervitaur baby in his arms, he wondered if his tongue felt swollen for no reason, or if he'd accidentally eaten one of those blackberries he was allergic to. "Would... you... do you want help? Cooking, cleaning... making things for the children?"
The feeling of the wind in his mane as his guardian trotted forth was exhilarating for the babe, and only increased the fervor in his wriggling once they reached the house. When Onora's grasp was finally loosened, he hit the floor with a four-hoofed clatter, knees buckling before he cantered on shakily legs into their little home, bright golden eyes flicking all around the interior before he ran for a scrappy-looking little potato box that was filled with a myriad of broken toys and hunks of wood that he thought looked like animals; his prized possessions.
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Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 7:40 pm
Onora relaxed a little when they reached her little home, used to the little centaur dropping himself to the floor. Her ears flicked back when Valentine said it was cozy, but she tried not to let it bother her. She felt terrible that all she could afford to give them was little scraps of things to play with.. She smiled, watching Bartholomieu play. As long as they were happy, it didn't matter what situation they were in.
Shock filling her at Valentine's offer, all the little 'taur could do for a while was stare at him. He would.. help? Her eyes widened to the size of plates, tears beginning to well up in them. Her voice reached an even girlier pitch when the words squeaked out. "Y..you really mean it? You'd help me out? Them out?.. They're growing fast.. and.. and I'm afraid I can't do it all on my own," she whimpered a little, the tears threatening to fall. "I'm sorry, no one has ever wanted to help.. I can't offer to pay you or anything, I'm afraid.. I can cook pretty well, but trying to do everything is a lot harder than I thought it would be.. especially with two of them to take care of." Onora tried to calm herself, to contain her emotions to not upset the babies. "T.. Thank you so much.. I would really love the help." She felt a little shy, looking down at her hooves. Another person who could actually talk to her. Maybe he would help keep the loneliness away.. Would he.. be her friend?
Availia wiggled until the man let her go. She let herself to the floor, hair a mess of blue and white from the run and the day out. The ribbon in her hair had fallen out long ago, but she didn't care. She was just glad to finally be home. She trotted to a soft pillow, settling her little blue body down on it. This man was nice..
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